June Studio Notes
Last month, I spent a lot of time working on props for a product launch shoot next month and I had every intention of getting lots of pictures and videos, but you know how it is when you get to doing the work, you just get lost in it. I did manage to get a couple behind the scenes pictures of making backgrounds for a series of recipe shoots, though:
One of the things I love about my work is that I make so many of the components that go into my images from scratch. I place high value on individuality and the way that manifests in my pictures is in my sketches, in my background design (that texture!), in upcycled jars, and handmade dishes, and of course in the touch of styling the composition. I think one of the reasons I swung to the studio side of shooting was because I love creating the story, rather than finding the story. I’m an artist at my core and I’m so fortunate that we get to work with clients who appreciate that vision.
What I loved in MAY:
NEWS FEATURES & ESSAYS
Appreciating Alice Munro (NY Times)
“Guilty” and History is Made (NY Times)
MOVIES & SHOWS
Manifest (Netflix)
Begin Again (Amazon)
The Notebook (Amazon)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Disney)
BOOKS
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I’m always looking for great books on creative theory and lifestyle; I have seen this book recommended on lots of art and photography group pages, blogs, and chats, for a long time and often. People rave about this book, so I finally picked it up from my local library.
This is my first thumbs down review on our studio blog and I feel like I’ll catch a lot of flak for it, but it’s my honest opinion. I thought for sure there would be some gold nuggets to find in there, what with the way people say it changed their lives, but the best parts of the book are the margin quotes on creativity from other famous people. There is nothing revolutionary about this book. I did consider that this was potentially a novel perspective when the original edition came out in 1992, but still it does not warrant a new edition for the seemingly cultish following that I see now. Additionally, I could have done without all of the God talk. [I tried to look past that, but it was relentless.] It seems those references help some people to make sense of themselves and nurture their thoughts, but I am not one of those people. This book is not for me, a person who grew up in a creative household and has been writing and making art for nearly my entire life. So I’m going to leave you with a selection of books on creativity that I do recommend in the Range Creative Bookshop.* Currently, I especially love The Impossibility of Silence by Ian Lyman and The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. Let me know if you have any favorite books on creativity that I should read!
Wings of Fire - Book 6 - Moon Rising - I have been reading this series aloud to my son for the past few months and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but THREE MOONS (IYKYK) I’m not going to pretend I’m not unaffected by it. This is the easy, fun fantasy fiction my mind has been missing. (The main characters are dragons, so.)
ARTISTS
Ruud van Empel’s dreamy almost futuristic visions of nature made through digital montage.
Speaking of nature and manufactured images, one of my favorite artists is Roxy Paine. His sculpture, Askew, is at the NCMA and we love to spend time there thinking about the values of post-contemporary art.
*Purchases made from the links in this post contribute a small commission to Range Creative and we appreciate your support.
